


Look Into My Eyes If You Can't Remember

by monkiainen



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Elf/Human Relationship(s), F/M, Family Dynamics, M/M, Male Friendship, Male Slash, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Poly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 20:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2442854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkiainen/pseuds/monkiainen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Boromir can't forget the one night of passion he spent with Aragorn in Rohan. Question is, can Aragorn?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Look Into My Eyes If You Can't Remember

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bluegerl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluegerl/gifts).



> Written for The Ninth Annual Sons of Gondor Trick or Treat Fic/Art Exchange. Beta'ed by the lovely rubyelf

Things will never be the same after this, Boromir thinks. He still has no idea why he is here, in Minas Tirith of all the places, when all he wants is to lay low and let the world forget about him. He is nothing but the oldest son of the last Steward of Gondor, who has no place in the kingdom ruled by its rightful king Aragorn. Even the weather, with the crispy and chilly nights of autumn, fits his mood.

Boromir decides, there and then, that he should leave now before it gets too hard. He still has no idea of who summoned him there, and he really doesn’t want to find out.

“Hail Boromir, son of Denethor! My lady wishes to see you in her chambers.”

So, it’s Arwen then,the Queen of Gondor, who has requested his presence. Boromir wonders why the elven maid would seek his company when surely there must be more… suitable nobles to talk to. The only explanation Boromir can think of is that it must have something do with their notorious quest all those years ago – but why question him, when her husband has lived it all through as well?

The young servant guides him to the rooms that used to belong to his mother. Boromir hasn’t been to this part of the castle since he was 10 years old – his father forbade anyone entering the south wing after his mother’s death. He swears he can almost smell the rosy perfume she used to wear.

Arwen is there, sitting by the window, seemingly lost in her thoughts. Boromir knows better, for Arwen is an elf and she probably heard his approach long before he even made it to the room. Boromir does not know where to begin, because he still hasn’t got any idea of why Arwen wants to meet him in the first place.

“Please sit.”

Boromir can see why people are telling tales of the beautiful Queen of Gondor. Arwen does not look like she belongs in this world, or this time – there is such sadness in her eyes it almost makes Boromir weep under the weight of it. 

“I asked you to come here, because while I am the one my husband _loves_ , I am not the one he _desires_.”

It takes a while for Boromir to catch the meaning behind Arwen’s words. Surely she can’t mean… no, it’s impossible. What happened in Rohan was just a fling – two men, high on adrenaline, looking for a way to alleviate some pressure. No. This is just a trick, a plot, a joke. Boromir might have never forgotten that night of passion, but he will not be played for a fool. Who does Arwen think she is, playing with people’s feelings like that?

Arwen reaches out to Boromir, placing her slender hand to his arm. She does not say a word, but her expression says it anyway: this is not a lie, but the truth. She knows she can’t give her husband what he truly desires, even if he hasn’t admitted it to anyone – not even to himself. Maybe having Boromir here will let her husband to finally face the truth about himself.

Boromir is speechless at the trust Arwen is offering him. If he were in Arwen’s place, he might not be so collected about the fact that his spouse desired someone other than her lawfully wedded husband. Then again, elves probably had their own set of morals and rules for relationships – if you can live for thousands of years, you probably get bored of having just one person in your bedroom through all that time. Boromir briefly wonders what kind of arrangements Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn must have, but pushes the thought out his mind as soon as it appears. He does not want to think about the… mating rituals of elves, when seeing Aragorn again after so many years is so close he can almost taste it.

“My husband knows I have invited you here, but not the true reason why. It is up to you to make him see what he has been offered. If I were just to propose him to do what his heart desires, he would most likely deny it, for he is a man and does not share my elven beliefs even if it was my father who raised him,” Arwen continues. The task she is giving to Boromir is difficult, but not impossible. Arwen hopes that in time her husband will see the benefits of having both Boromir and her at his side.

Boromir sighs. Of course. The story of his life. He must, yet again, fight to get what has been freely offered. But he knows already he will do it, for Aragorn, and for that one night they spent together. Maybe he isn’t so out of place after all.

The same servant who guided him to see Arwen returns, and shows him to his quarters. Not surprisingly, they are across the hall from the royal chambers where Aragorn resides. Boromir is halfway convinced this is just a dream, and soon he will wake up in the small room in The Prancing Pony, like always.

Boromir decides that his first course of action is to get refreshed after a long journey. There is a basin waiting for him, with cool water and some sort of herbal soap. Someone has also gone through his rucksack and pulled out clean but modest clothes. There were times when Boromir foolishly thought that the more grandiose the clothes he wore, the more people would look up to him in awe. He knows better now, of course, after watching Aragorn in those long and grueling days of their journey. Aragorn was never the one to prance around in pretty clothing and demand for attention and respect – he got it because of his actions.

Suddenly Boromir feels very nervous – there are so many things that could possibly go wrong. He does not have the luxury to back away now, for there is a knock on his door, followed by no other than Aragorn stepping in. The air is crackling with tension, and for a moment neither man moves. Boromir decides it’s now or never, and steps closer to Aragorn, pulling the older man into an embrace. Aragorn embraces him back, and for a moment they are one. Boromir does not want to let go, but he knows he has to – he can’t scare Aragorn away so early on, when he isn’t sure if Aragorn even shares his feelings. Whatever Arwen might think of her husband, it might not be the complete truth.

One step at a time, then.

They exchange pleasantries and mundane gossip of their lives for quite some time before Aragorn excuses himself. Royal duties are waiting, but he wishes they could continue to catch up over the dinner. Boromir agrees, for this pause gives him time to think of a plan. It will not be easy, but he didn’t expect it to be. The night falls sooner than he would have wanted, and still Boromir has no idea of how he is going to make Aragorn see the truth.

It turns out he doesn’t have to do anything, because it takes just one look from Aragorn and he _knows_ that the older man remembers their only night together as vividly as Boromir does. Their dinner forgotten, they move to the royal chambers to reacquaint themselves. They are older now, and there are some new scars that weren’t there the last time, but it doesn’t matter. Boromir finally feels like he has come home. 

The next morning Arwen greets them with a smile on her face, embracing both her husband and his lover with such a love it’s almost too much to bear. Things are finally the way they are supposed to be.


End file.
